CT Myelogram - 12.23.2010

Isaac was scheduled to have his CT Myelogram on December 23rd. What a way to start the holidays, right?!? Grandma Debbie and Great-Aunt Darleen got the pleasure of spending the day with Eli so Ryan and I could accompany Isaac to Children's Mercy. For the fun of it, Eli decided he didn't want to nap. ALL.DAY.LONG. He was either missing his brother, excited about Christmas, or was having too much fun getting Grandma all to himself. I'll let you decide :).

First, we got instructions that Isaac was to be at CMH at 11:30am. He was to have no formula after 6am. Normally, they would let him have clear liquids after that up until about 9am. However, Isaac needs thickener in any liquids that he takes, that is considered a solid, so he couldn't have anything after 6am. He is such a good-natured little fella and was in a pleasant mood most of our time waiting to get called back (which ended up being after 12pm... so much for that 11:30 prep time!). Once we got called back to the prep area, Isaac got a full physical and check-up by a nurse practitioner, which got him pretty riled up. He was HUNGRY. And he couldn't figure out why we wouldn't feed him. The look on his face was pitiful! I was so ready for them to get the show on the road! We signed the usual paperwork, and then took him down to the room where they would do the Myelogram, which is the part of the test where the radiologist injects contrast media (dye) into the spinal canal's fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). After the dye is injected, its purpose is to illuminate the spinal canal, cord, and nerve roots during imaging.

Once the dye was injected, they moved Isaac to another room to perform the CT. The dye will show up on the images that are captured during the CT, showing the radiologist a good depiction of Isaac's anatomy of his spine and the nerve structures. This should prove to be a great tool for Isaac's doctors that are overseeing his spinal issues. We have an Orthopedist and Neurosurgeon following him.

After the test was completed, Ryan and I were called back to be with Isaac as he woke up and to feed him something. I think he was happy to see us, or to get a bottle, or both! We asked the nurse if we could speak with the radiologist (Dr. R), since it would be a holiday weekend and we likely would not hear from Isaac's doctors for a couple of weeks (because once they get the results, they will consult with one another before we're brought into the picture). Anyway, the nurse told us that the radiologists don't usually talk to families, and that he wouldn't come talk to us. Lo and behold, who walks through the door next? Dr. R. And he was carrying a picture. He was pretty excited to tell us that somehow, someway, Isaac has spinal fluid everywhere he is supposed to. Dr. R didn't get into specifics about what this does or does not mean, or any of the other issues that are being looked at. We do know that what he saw is a good thing. We were concerned that the spinal fluid wouldn't make it down past the juncture where the spinal cord is compressed. After Dr. R left, our nurse let us know that she'd never seen one of the radiologists bring a picture of the test down to parents. We were so happy to have received some good news.

Ryan and I were ecstatic with what we were told. We know that there is surgery in the future to correct the lordosis in his spine that goes along with the vertebral dislocation, but for now, this bit of positive information is what we hold on to. Every bit of positive information means so much to us. We know Isaac is going to have challenges - we are not dismissing that, but to get best case scenario when we get initial test results back -- we couldn't ask for anything else! Especially after our unscientific research that tells us that under all of the conditions that Isaac has, he shouldn't be able to have any use of his legs. But, Isaac can tell when I tickle his toes, he giggles. When I give him a horsey bite on his thigh, he laughs. And when he gets excited, he kicks his legs. So we know he has feeling and can move them.

So now we are waiting for the Neurologist (Dr. I) and Orthopedist (Dr. S) to chat and get back to us on a game plan.

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Merry Christmas from the Murdocks

Well, we've made it!  Our first Christmas with our dear boys Isaac and Elias.  Now, technically I suppose this isn't their first Christmas as we did know we were having twins last Christmas, but obviously this has been a whole different ballgame for Kristi and I.

It has been a very busy week as we have had the opportunity to hang out with great uncle Dale, great aunt Susan, and 1st cousin Cassie this past Tuesday.  We had a great time with them and I certainly think the boys did too!  On the very next night, the boys got the opportunity to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for an earlier Christmas.  This year, Kristi and I will be taking the boys to Hesston and spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with Kristi's parents and siblings so we did an early Christmas with my parents.  We had a great time, with awesome food and plenty of presents.  To be sure, there was squawking by both boys as they opened their gifts (and yes, they did pull the paper off some of them!!!).

And then on Thursday, after Isaac had a new CT scan performed (more on that in a later post) we packed up the Rav and headed for Hesston to Pops and Grandma's.  After some perilous moments on the road (we had to drive through a small ice storm the last 40 miles or so) we arrived, unpacked, and were able to get a little rest before all of the festivities on Christmas Eve.  This Christmas was extra special as all of Kristi's family was able to be there.  So, in addition to her parents, her brother Brett and his fiance Katie were there along with her sister Roxanne and her husband John.  We also shared the celebration with Kristi's aunt Lynne and her fiance Mike and her aunt Lisa.  It was a terrific group of people.

So, on Christmas Eve we were able to spend the entire day with family and friends.  We had a day of play, complete with a Christmas Eve church service (which the boys did awesome at!), Christmas meal (yummy!!), and of course the opening of packages.  What a sight!  The boys loved all their new clothes, toys, books, and even some piggy bank money!!  Now, if only I can figure out to pack the car for the trip home with all this stuff.

On Christmas morning, we all got up and did Christmas stockings, these were stuffed with candy, small books, jewelry, and even some more piggy bank money.  It was a truly fantastic Christmas celebration.  We continue to be grateful for all the gifts we have received in 2010.  It has been an extraordinary year to say the least and we look forward to a great 2011.

We hope everyone has had a terrific holiday season!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Murdocks!

Eli, the Entertainer

6.5 month update :)

Just a 'quick' 6 month update on our little guys!
Right before they turned 6 months old, Eli perfected rolling over as a means of transportation. Isaac watched his peer model, and after spending a couple of weeks beyond frustrated that he couldn't do the same thing as his little brother, he has mastered rolling from his tummy to his back. Isaac can make it to his side from laying on his back, but hasn't flipped the rest of the way over.
They definitely recognize when we are coming and going from a room. We often get great big cheeser grins when we get home from work, and sad faces as we head upstairs to wash off germs and change clothes!
We've started on some cereal and baby foods. Neither Eli nor Isaac are huge fans just yet, but are starting to get the hang of it. It seems that they definitely like their fruits and vegetables more than the bland rice cereal (sorry Great-Aunt Marilyn, they just don't seem to care for it! Maybe you can tell them just how good it is!).

Other things that they are doing: babbling, and more 'talking.' One of the sweetest things is watching the two of them 'talk' to each other. They get really excited when they're put next to each other, whether it is on the floor or in one of their cribs (the don't sleep in the same crib). It's like they realize that their best friend just showed up for the day or something. Isaac and Eli love our dog, Elly. They will reach out for her when she walks by, or try to 'pet' her when she's laying next to them on the floor. Their version of petting the dog includes (but is not limited to): grabbing her ears, tugging on her collar, touching her back, mouth, legs, tummy or anything else they can reach! She loves them back and gives them kisses, often. I think Elly is buttering them up for when they get to eat big people food so they'll share with her! 

Isaac still loves his bouncy chair! We could make video after video of our 'bucking bronco' bouncy chair rider! He is really good at making it bounce, as well as making it stop if there is something he wants to focus on. 

And last, but not least, they are putting EVERYTHING in their mouths! We will regularly find Eli with his foot in his mouth. If it isn't his foot, it's because he's successfully pulled off his sock, and is sucking on it! Issac can't get his feet to his mouth, but Eli has taught him how to pull off his socks too. We have lots of soggy socks around here! All of this has been for a good cause, because Eli's first tooth has broken through on the bottom. I am sure Isaac isn't very far behind! 

A Letter From Dad (Thanksgiving)

First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I was thinking it had been an awfully long time since I had posted to the blog, and so I wanted to share what I am thankful for as we approach the hectic holiday season.

- I am thankful for two beautiful boys and a loving wife.  Kristi is an amazing mommy, and the boys and I are so lucky to have her.
- I am thankful that Elias no longer has a heart defect (we found that out today!).  He is set to have some minor surgery on Dec. 2nd.
- I am thankful for Isaac and the progress he has made.  We knew all along he would need to be the little engine that could.  So far, he CAN!  He continues to make progress and we continue to monitor some of his difficulties.  He will get a CT-Mylogram sometime in the next few months before determining the best course of action on his spine.  It seems we will have to continue to hurry to wait.
- I am thankful for Tim, Laine, Kevin, and Debbie (our parents!!!)  They have been amazing through these first 6 months (and the months previous too).  It is awfully nice to know the support you have from parents.
- I am thankful for Eli rolling around the floor
- I am thankful for Isaac rolling over
- I am thankful for doctors who continue to take good care of us.
- I am thankful for therapists who come to our house and work with Isaac on different issues, whether it be eating or movement related issues.  They have been fantastic.
- I am thankful I haven't opened the front door for our dog when she has been annoying!  She is sitting here right now cuddling with me while the boys nap and I can't imagine our house without her.
- I am thankful for Russ, Andi, Brett, and Roxanne, our brothers and sisters who have been there with us from day 1 and are never too busy to listen to us.
- I am thankful Brett and Katie are moving back from California to Emporia, KS.  Not only because Kristi gets her brother and a great friend back but I have someone else to go to sporting events with when he has the time.
- I am thankful for all the aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and other relatives who have checked in on us or watched the boys.
- I am thankful to our church and small group who continue to show us patience and love even when we haven't been able to make to those events nearly as often as we should or would have liked.
- I am thankful to friends at school who consistently ask about the boys and how they are doing and if I need anything.  Thanks Dan, Kendra, Maureen, Nick, and Lori.  I really appreciate it.
- I am thankful for just being the gift of these twin boys.  God apparently knew we could handle it.  A few less quizzes along the way would have been nice but I think we are doing quite well in this class so far.
- And, I am thankful again for Kristi.  She is it.  She has it all.  She is stuck with me and she still smiles!  I can't even begin to think of where I would be without her.

Isaac and Eli,

It is your first thanksgiving.  November 25th, 2010.  You 6 months and 11 days old.  You are my world.  I love watching your laughs, your cries (yes, I like that sometimes!), your questioning looks, and your interaction with one another.  I want you both to know, I love you.  And when you need some money as teenagers, go ask your mom!  :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Hockey Fans!!

A few weeks ago, Grandma and Grandpa were out of town, so we got to use their hockey tickets and watch the Missouri Mavericks. We had a great time, and the boys did great. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

5 Month Photos...

You know, now that we're just a week away from being 6 months old (eek!!!), here are our 5 month photos.

The day the boys turned 5 months old, they got to go to the pediatrician to get their immunizations with Daddy and our nanny, Jaime. Then they met me at Loose Park and we did a little amateur photo shoot. They look much happier than I would be if I just got some shots!!!

Isaac - Getting his "bounce" on..

Isaac has discovered how to work his bouncy seat himself. You see, when you have a twin brother, you don't get all the attention all of the time, so he took it upon himself to learn to work his bouncy seat. He will do this indefinitely. We laugh and giggle as we watch him, and then scoop him up to play with him because he's just so dang cute! (If we do say so ourselves!)

The whole video is pretty indicative of Isaac's bouncing skills, but the last half also includes free grins and a real giggle/laugh - which is saying a lot. He doesn't give those out willy nilly like his silly brother Eli!

Twins!?!?

It was one year ago today that it was confirmed that we would be having TWO babies! There was a lot of excitement and a whole lot of "ohmygoshwhatarewegoingtodowithtwobabies???"

And now we know. Have lots of fun, get double the smiles, double the poopy diapers, and overall we just feel so blessed that we have two happy, lovey, adorable boys.

 

Halloween 2010 - Two Peas in a Pod

5 Month Update

Isaac: 

Isaac is doing really well lifting his head during tummy time, will straighten legs  on his own (and out mostly straight, not just in the same position as his brace), and has really good head control. He's working on rolling over, and makes it to his sides. Right now, while we're waiting on his brace for his spine, we aren't pushing him to complete rolling over. We want to make sure that his spine is fully protected. 

This month we added thickener to Isaac's bottles, bringing them to a 'nectar' consistency. This has helped him process the food in his mouth more appropriately and swallow more adequately. Up until adding the thickener, we had been struggling to  get him to take more than 2.5 ounces at a time. We have been working with an OT, and our latest conclusion is that Isaac, isn't aspirating, but doing something that is called 'penetrating.' This is defined as the active entry of any food (usually during swallowing) into the trachea. In Isaac's case, it is speculated that the formula will penetrate, and end up on top of his vocal cords, or other passageway, and then he 'realizes it' and it comes back up. We can tell it hasn't made it to his stomach, because most of the time it isn't like spit up (mixed with stomach fluids, and appearing curdled). Isaac's just appears that it has mixed with thicker saliva, indicating it hasn't made it to his stomach yet, but has gone somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. He is still on Zantac, and with the combination of Zantac and the thickner, he has decreased the frequency of spitting up, but will still occasionally have some issues. So far, we've avoided needing a swallow study, which is where he would have to drink a barium drink, and then have continuous x-ray to watch to see where the food does penetrate or aspirate. As of now, the plan is to keep watching him, and if we can't get the aspirating/penetrating issue resolved soon, he will need a swallow study.

Isaac has also been receiving physical therapy once a week for the last 6 weeks or so. A quick little plug -- Missouri's Early Interention program -- First Steps, has been fabulous for us, and mainly for Isaac. Once a week we have a physical therapist at our house (Jacki), and once every other week, an OT comes (Nicole). They have helped us help Isaac, so that he can make up for his developmental delays caused by his congenital issues. Isaac has vastly improved the movement of his legs (when he does move them). When Jacki first started coming, we told her that Isaac didn't move his legs independently, either he kicked them both out or brought them both up at the same time. When he did straighten them, they went out like and 'A' frame, in the same position they are held when he's in his brace. Now, he will sometimes move them independently. However, if he is straightening them both at the same time, they are going out in a more 'normal' position, not quite straight and not quite "a frame" either. He has also improved his muscle tone in his legs. We are still noticing that he does not kick very often, or when held in an upright position, he does not straighten them to practice the standing position. This brings us to another 'procedure' for Isaac.

Due to us noticing the infrequency of Isaac moving his legs, as well as his lack of a response to getting immunizations, we met with a Neurosurgeon last month. Upon Dr. I researching Isaac's conditions and reviewing his CT & MRI from when Isaac was in the NICU, it was recommended that Isaac have a repeat of the CT & MRI, so that Dr. I can determine if the 'dislocation' of Isaac's spine is causing the spinal cord to be stressed. Dr. I speculated that in the place of the dislocation, there is pressure that is being applied to the spinal cord, causing decreased sensation to Isaac's legs. If this is indeed the case, Isaac will require surgery, sooner rather than later, to relieve some of that pressure. We hope that if this is the case, it will restore the feeling that he has lost (which, he still has some feeling in his legs, just not total sensation), and help move him forward developmentally.

At 5 months, Isaac is still taking 3.5 to 4 ounces at a feeding and going about 3 to 3.5 hours between feedings. He usually goes to bed between 9:30 and 10:30. He sometimes will still wake up in the middle of the night hungry, and will usually take a full 4 ounces if he does wake up. He will get up for the day sometime around 7 or 8am. He will usually sleep for at least an hour around 9 or 10am, and then will take a nice long afternoon nap too. At some point during the evening, he will take a quick snooze just to get him through the rest of the evening until bedtime. His 5 month stats are: 11lbs 6oz. and is 23 inches long. 

On a more fun note for Isaac, it is especially fun to watch him squeal with delight when he gets excited about his baths, or even when he and Eli are laying in Eli's crib, watching the mobile, Isaac loves to talk and squwak loudly! He is also very talkative, and gives out smiles, if he deems it okay! If you know the right tricks, you can get him to laugh a pretty hearty laugh too! It seems that the closer we got to 5 months, the more and more both of the boys would eye each other and have stare downs. It's really cute. Until Isaac scratches Eli's face. Or when Eli pulls Isaac's ear. That's cute until one of them screams.

Elias:

Eli spends most of his time grinning, laughing and making funny faces. He's a mover and a shaker. For him, the closer we got to 5 months, he was enjoying standing on our laps assisted, I think it really made him feel like a 'big boy.' When he concentrates really hard, he can roll both front to back and back to front. Eli is an expert at holding up his head, and is working on learning to sit. At the rate Eli is going with wanting to stand all of the time, he may learn to walk before he learns to crawl! He also spends a lot of his time attempting to eat his hands. Teeth may be coming sooner rather than later, but that's yet to be determined.

Eli is eating about 5-6 ounces at a feeding and is going 3-4 hours between feedings. He usually goes to bed sometime between 9:30 and 10:30, and is up for the morning between 7 and 8am. He'll sometimes take a good morning nap, and sometimes not. He's a pretty light sleeper during the day, and the morning nap is hard for him to get. The afternoon nap, he usually does pretty good with and will usually get 2 to 3.5 hours of sleep then. He'll also usually doze for 20-30 minutes in the evening, just to tide him over until bedtime. Eli's 5 month stats are: 13lbs 2oz and is 25 1/4 inches long. 

He still really enjoys his baths, being outside, and getting lots of attention. :) 

Overall, Eli and Isaac are both very happy babies, and are very social. They are getting to the stage where they realize when we walk away or leave the room. They aren't big fans of that!

 

A very tired Eli, and a quite vocal Isaac

One Year Ago

Okay, so updating more frequently hasn't quite gotten off to a flying start.  But the good news is we actually have some new things to share and hopefully we can find time to get them posted in a timely fashion!

But this post is more reminiscing than anything else.  Kristi and I were talking the other day and figured out it was one year to the day that we found out she was pregnant (October 1st).  And, to say the least, it has been an interesting year.  So, here is our list of what has gone on in the past year.  Some of these things are more for us to remember, so don't be offended if you wonder what the heck are they talking about?

In the past year, we have:

-  Lived in three different houses (Grandview, Brookside, and now Lee's Summit).
-  Moved to our new house while I was in the hospital (actually signed the closing papers the day I was admitted)
-  Almost got snowed in on Christmas morning (car was indeed stuck and Ryan spent over and hour shoveling a big enough path to get to the road)
-  Found out Eli was struggling because of low amniotic fluid and high resistance in the cord flow (initial reason for the hospitalization)
-  Endured having Kristi on bedrest from February 17th, 2010 until the boys birth.  She was in the hospital from Feb 24th to April 19th.
-  Playing the Wii in the Kristi's hospital room
-  The all-day shopping bonanza at Nebraska Furniture Mart to buy the kids' furniture.  Kristi was put on bedrest two days later.
-  Having our family move us to our new house, and unpack us.
-  Watched as our concerns flipped from Eli to Isaac and his spinal difficulties.
-  Feral Cat.
-  Getting kicked so hard by one of the boys that I screamed out loud during the Superbowl!
-  Listening to "Baby A" and "Baby B's" heartbeats.
-  Watching the March Madness games with my OB in my hospital room.
-  Being terrified every time Dr. S came into my hospital room with the ultrasound machine, and the sense of relief when he said that Eli's fluid and flow looked at least the same.
-  REALLY (AND I MEAN REALLY) craptastic hospital food. Raisin Bran for breakfast everyday. And chocolate milk. Meatloaf on Wednesdays for lunch. But the cookies that are served with the meatloaf are great!
- All of the wheelchair rides Ryan took me on.
-  Having our boys and the rollercoaster we have been on with them!

We are so very thankful and grateful for all of the love and support from our friends and family over the last year. What a ride it has been! We are truly blessed!


 

To the Pumpkin Patch We Went!

Today we made it out to the famous Louisburg Cider Mill and went to the pumpkin patch. It was actually the last Cider Fest weekend, and we had no idea how many people turned out for that! We had a great time, and the boys were a hit. We hope you enjoy the few pictures we got!

Eli & Isaac ready to check out the CiderFest

An update (we promise to update more frequently!!)

First, we apologize for not getting the blog updated more regularly, we are going to do better about that.

So, here is what is going on in twinfinity:

Both boys are doing well.  Elias continues to shoot for the moon in terms of growth and it absolutely amazes us with how fast he is growing.  We go to the pediatrician in tomorrow, where we expect to hear that Eli is over the 11 pound mark!  We also anticipate he will be 23 to 24 inches long.  We will give you those exact numbers when we get them on Monday.  Other than eating like a champ, Eli continues to smile all the time and enjoys cuddling with mom and dad.  I love making funny faces at Eli just to see if I can get him to react (and I usually can).  I tell him all sorts of jokes, an unlike some people, he finds them all very, very funny.  He plays all the time, loves to wear his tuxedo and is getting closer and closer to being just an average joe on the growth chart.  Now, about growing some hair...

Isaac continues to make progress as well, but because Eli is growing WAY faster than a normal infant, sometimes Isaac's progress gets overlooked.  He is still gaining weight, and we fully expect him to be over the 10 pound mark at the doctor tomorrow.  Isaac also continues to work on his motor skills and has taken just a bit longer learning to control his head and struggles sometimes to eat.  He has put us through a few scares here and there, but overall, we continue to be encouraged by his progress.  He has done well at all his recent appointments and has three more appointments coming up this month.  One with the pediatrician, one with his orthopedist (where we hope he will be given the all clear to only wear his brace at night), and then one with a neurosurgeon.  That appointment is more of a consultation, so we will see.  Isaac also beat his brother to one really cool milestone: holding their own bottle.  Sure, it was only for a few seconds, but he definitely grabbed it on his own and held it in his mouth.  Pretty dang cool.  It has been so much fun watching him learn and explore his surroundings.

Both boys are very inquisitive and want to look all over the place and soak up their surroundings.  They are becoming more and more independent and able to soothe themselves when they get upset.

I am pretty sure these are best two kids of all time (what?, no, I am not biased!).  Seriously, they are the best two kids ever.  All you people out there who have kids, get in line for third, cause spots one and two are taken!!  :)

Please come back this week as we post a whole heap of photos and more blog updates.  Our goal from now on will be to update the blog once every 3 days or so.  Thanks again for all the support we are getting.  Our journey is really going strong now!

We will post some of there three month pics this weekend that we took as a family.  Some have made it to facebook already, so hopefully you will enjoy them.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We hope you have a very Happy Day!

Love, 

Isaac & Eli

Our First Cardinals Soccer Game

Remember these shirts??? 

These pictures were taken May 18th, the boys were 4 days old.

Elias on the left, Isaac on the right. 

We went out to watch Daddy coach at the Red & White game last night (the boys switched shirts!).

                                     

The Wedding

The last weekend of July, Kristi and I took the boys to Hesston, Kansas for Aunt Roxanne's wedding.  She was marrying her longtime boyfriend John Martens.  It was a terrific week and weekend (with some drama and nervous moments that we won't get into).  The wedding and reception were terrific, a big thank you to all the people who helped look after the boys so we could have fun at the wedding.

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Elias, the fish

Here's a video of Eli taking a bath. It's a little jerky, anti-climatic, but quite cute! He LOVES his baths!

note: if viewing this post in Google Reader or other news feed, you may have to go to the actual blog to see the video.

Our First Roadtrip

Hello there America!  Okay, so not everyone in America is reading this blog...but they should!  Isaac and I wanted to tell you all about a trip our parents took us on about two weeks ago.  It ROCKED!  Mom and Dad took us all over the world (it seemed like it at least).  We kept a journal in the backseat during the trip and Isaac said it was okay if I shared it (though he tore out page 11, something about a fiery butt and something he ate, I couldn't read it after that).

So, without further ado, here is our journal:

Pretrip - Hey, we are going on a trip!  Dad just came and told us we will be going to 5 different states, so we asked him what a state was.  He told us.  Then he said, we will be visiting the St. Louis Arch, so we asked him what the St. Louis Arch was.  He told us.  He said we were going to see the horse that won the Belmont Stakes.  We asked what a horse was (and then asked what the Belmont Stakes might be).  Dad didn't answer this time, he looked kinda pissed at all the questions.  Eli and I just laughed.  Got em!  Dad was fine after that.  We are just excited to go see some of mom's family in Kentucky and then see Uncle Russ and Aunt Andi in Nashville.  That also means seeing our cousins Tyler, Ian, and ?.  Sweet.

Day 1 - What the heck man!  Mom and Dad loaded us into the car at 3:30a.m. to start the trip.  Ummm, hello, middle of the night?  Sleep?  Cranky?  Anything of these things ringing a bell?  Actually, we were so darn tired, that Isaac and I slept all the way to St. Louis before getting up around 7:30.  We got to eat at McDonalds and then Mom and Dad took us to the St. Louis Arch for some pictures, aren't we cute? The rest of the day was a blur.  We raced through Illinois, Indiana, and into Kentucky before pulling into  our final destination around 5 in the evening.  It was a long, long day for us.  Isaac and I were tired.  I bet Mom and Dad were tired too though.  So, we took it easy on them that night.  We let our relatives Gladie and J.D., and Sarah, and Kathryn, and Jordan, and Marisa hold us and look at us while Mom and Dad got a quick break.  But we also had someone more our size.  Ella just smiled at us, and fed us, and held us and just gave us lots of love.  She was awesome.  And she is only 6 years old!

Ella with Eli in Versailles, KY

Day 2 - We are starting the morning off by going to Winstar Farms.  Mom and Dad told us how their good friend (and now OUR good friend) Daryl from our Church set us up with a private tour of the farm.  This is the farm that produced the Kentucky Derby winner SuperSaver and the Belmont winner Dorselmeyer.  We got to tour the whole dang place.  Saw the stallion barn, the mares and foals barn, the brand new track and training facility, and the main office.  Pretty darn cool.  Later that day we went and visited our mom's friend Emily in Georgetown, Kentucky.  Met some cool students from other countries and then made a trip to see one of mom's friends from her old job, Sonya.  We had a great time there too.  Got to hang with Sonya, Chuck, and their daughter Audrey.

The Boys with the Kentucky Derby Trophy at Winstar Farms

Sonya, Audrey, and Kristi with the boys

Day 3 - Today was a moving day.  We hung out at the house in Versailles in the morning, visiting, smiling, and see some more friends, the Etherington's.  We really love it when people come out to see us, makes us feel important.  Dad says that is why Isaac has such a big head (literally) because it swelled up with his ego.  I don't know about that.  I know I am pretty much the coolest kid ever, and my head is still pretty small.  Maybe Dad is just trying to pull the wool over our eyes (and if so, ouch, that stuff is scratchy).  Anyway, we stopped in Lexington at a fun pizza place for lunch with Emily before heading for Nashville.  Mom and Dad seemed a little worn out so we decided to sleep for awhile.  On the way to Nashville we stopped at a cool restaurant called the Whistle Stop.  It was in Glendale, KY.  And, holy cow, the pie!  We saw mom and dad each ordered a piece of pie.  Now, I had Isaac start kicking up a storm, and while they weren't looking, I stole a taste of peanut butter pie.  Yummmy.   Then I played the greatest prank of my life (so far!) by taking a scoop of the chocolate pie and putting it my diaper.  Then I started crying, and Mom and Dad had to deal with me while Isaac got to steal some pie.  We work pretty well as a team.  Then, after about 4 hours, we finally pulled into Nashville.  Aunt Andi and Uncle Russ were excited to see us.  We got to hang out with our cousins Tyler and Ian that night.  It was great!  Okay, we are tired, goodnight all.

Our cousins, Tyler and Ian holding us in Nashville, they are strong!!

Day 4 - Breakfast at Lovelace Cafe.  Oh my, the biscuits!  My biscuits were warm and soft...Why are mom and dad laughing at me?  Oh, I get it, my biscuits...haha.  Anyway, it was a great breakfast.  After that, we went back to the house so we could nap and Dad and Uncle Russ could work on a playset for our cousins.  And then in the afternoon, we went to Adventure Science City.  It was great place for kids, though we weren't quite big enough to do the activities, but we will be soon, so watch out Nashville, we will be back!!!  We finished the day by going to a Mexican restaurant.  Isaac and I declined ordering some tacos, those things tear us up and sometimes we stink out the room, so we spared everyone this time.

Day 5 - The trip home!  We don't remember much about the trip home, other than it was long, hot, and tiring (those were mom's words actually). Dad was stoked when we stopped in Columbia and he took us to his favorite restaurant and bar when he was in college.  It is called the Old Heidelberg, and it was great!  I mean, how many other 2 month old kids can say they were hangin in a bar in Columbia on a Saturday, chatting up the chicks?  We can!  Then we took some pictures by the famous columns and tried to get home, but a massive storm stopped us for about an hour near Boonville.  But we finally made it.  The trip was great!!!!!

Okay, this was a long post.  I hope you enjoyed the photos.  We had a great time and thank you to all our relatives who made us feel welcome.  We hope to make at least an annual trip to Kentucky and Tennessee.